Man killed following standoff with Vallejo police identified

A man killed following an officer-involved shooting and standoff with police two days ago in Vallejo was identified Thursday as 42-year-old William A. Heinze.

Heinze was found dead inside a house in the 1800 block of Sutter Street following a nearly four-hour standoff. Authorities have not determined if he was killed by the officers' gunfire or suffered self-inflicted wounds. An autopsy is pending.

Police have released little information about the ongoing investigation, but said Thursday that at the time of the incident, Heinze was wanted on burglary and narcotics warrants. Police also said Heinze had an extensive criminal history, which included convictions for robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm, battery on a custodial officer, domestic violence and narcotics.

The incident began just before noon Wednesday when police received reports of an agitated man waving a rifle and yelling obscenities outside a house on Sutter Street.

When officers arrived, they reported that Heinze was not holding a weapon, but he ran inside the house. During a phone conversation with negotiators, police said, Heinze demanded to speak to his girlfriend and threatened to kill police or others.

About an hour after the standoff began, police say Heinze broke out the front window and pointed what appeared to be a shotgun or rifle at them. Officers fired a number of rounds, but police say it was unclear if Heinze fired any shots.

After the shooting, police tried again to communicate with Heinze, promising medical aid if he surrendered. When he didn't respond, they eventually fired tear gas into the house, and later used a flash-bang grenade to gain entry.

When officers were able to see through a window that Heinze was prone on the floor, they went inside and discovered he had died.

No one else was injured.

The Vallejo Police Department, the Solano County District Attorney's Office and the coroner's office are investigating the incident. Officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave pending a departmental review.